This invention relates to wave power machines, and more particularly to such a machine that follows the incoming and outgoing tides to continuously convert wave energy into useful power, such as electricity.
The concept of utilizing wave energy to generate electrical power has been long established and numerous devices have been conceived to accomplish this purpose. Nevertheless, in the past, these machines have not been considered practical because of the abundance of inexpensive fossil fuels.
However, the cost of fossil fuels within the past several years has increased many fold and its availability doubtful, making it imperative that alternate power sources be obtained that are cheaper and readily available.
Accordingly, a renewed interest in wave power machines has arisen because the technology satisfies the requirements of cost and availability. The prior art wave power machines, as can be exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,985, usually provide a plurality of vertical pilings driven into the ocean bottom. A frame having rotatable sprockets over which are driven an endless belt carrying blades or buckets is supported between the pilings. Means are provided for raising and lowering the frame vertically with respect to the pilings to adjust for the level of the tidal water. As clearly indicated in this prior art patent, the endless belts are driven intermittently requiring a flywheel arrangement to smooth out the power generated. It is apparent that such prior art machines utilize only a relatively short portion of the beach depth that is subject to the tidal action.
The novel machine of the present invention produces a continuous source of energy by moving the carriage, having the wave engaging blades, to follow the tide, moving relatively horizontally on the piers in and out from the beach to traverse a substantially long depth of the beach. Means are provided to position the carriage so that the outermost sprocket wheels position and maintain the blades in the first breaking waves throughout the tidal action. Thus, energy is generated continuously through the tidal action to achieve greater efficiency than the prior art machines.